Chapter 639

Chapter 639: The Death of Integral

The National Defense Star was not prominent in the industry, primarily because it lacked a flagship product.

Even with a strong showing at the international aerospace exhibition in France, most people still remembered the J-11 and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, even the famous Su-27 had more recognition than National Defense Star.

For a powerful military equipment manufacturer to be remembered by the world, it required time and the accumulation of war experience.

The J-10 had recently become popular both domestically and internationally, but how many ordinary people truly knew that this fighter jet was produced by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group?

In contrast, as soon as someone mentioned the F-22, many would instantly recognize it as a Lockheed Martin product—the major player in aerial combat weapons wasn’t established overnight.

“Sorry, I haven’t heard of this company. Our Skler Arms Trading Company has a very strong presence, with a 60-year history in business, having participated in most modern wars. Our clients span Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. If possible, we at Skler would like to become your sponsor; the benefits will surely satisfy you.”

Burke Evila made his intentions very clear; he aimed to undermine National Defense Star.

He couldn’t guarantee that this pilot nicknamed "Number 13" would become the final champion, but any arms dealer linked to aviation would place a heavy bet, as long as there was even a tiny chance—none would let it slip away.

In fact, Lin Mo had never heard of "Skler," nor could he speak to its so-called strength.

Both men were completely in the dark about each other’s backgrounds. The company behind Burke Evila lacked the ability to know the details of every contestant; at best, they were like small fish trailing behind sharks to pick up scraps.

Such arms companies were often seen in wars, especially those initiated by "Abyss Nirvana." As long as they followed the rules and avoided greed, they could always pick up some leftovers and fill their bellies. Even so, some arms dealers could make a killing as long as they had insight and could seize fleeting opportunities.

“Sorry, I’m a director of National Defense Star!”

Lin Mo flatly rejected Burke Evila’s tempting offer.

Taking this corner would turn out to be unexpectedly difficult.

The higher-ups at National Defense Star had foresight and directly bound Lin Mo to their chariot using Chen Haiqing, connecting emotions and interests.

“Director?!”

Burke Evila widened his eyes again, mouth agape.

A director wasn’t easy to poach. Trying to undercut a director from another company meant declaring war—not just in a commercial sense but a bloody conflict behind the scenes that could threaten even Burke Evila’s life.

Skler wouldn’t engage in a pointless all-out war with another rival company.

Even the smallest military equipment manufacturer would possess assets in the millions; directors shouldn’t be lounging in comfortable offices, flirting with beautiful young secretaries, and casually signing documents.

This was a pilot death match where lives were at stake, and survival rates were extremely low; many battles would be fought until death. How could a director from an unknown company care so little for their own life?

In the skies, enemies showed no mercy; even begging for mercy or surrender wouldn’t prevent them from counting victims as their achievements.

Lin Mo’s words also dispelled many arms dealers’ thoughts of getting cozy.

Dragon Knights, who typically only dealt with killings and wars, weren’t adept at these matters and wisely cut off this out-of-place topic.

“That’s too bad; I wish you good luck, Mr. ‘Number 13’! Here’s my business card. If you need anything, feel free to contact me. Skler is always ready to provide the most professional service.”

Burke Evila didn’t make a last-ditch effort nor acted overly opportunistic; instead, he maintained politeness and kept the conversation from falling silent.

Even if business didn’t materialize, social connections were valuable and might prove useful in the future.

From another perspective, rivals were enemies; the sooner they perished, the sooner they’d be reborn.

Perhaps seeing this unremarkable new company suffer a crushing defeat would teach them to know when to retreat.

Putting aside business talk, Burke Evila, as an experienced sales representative, didn’t give up entirely. He continued chatting with Lin Mo, trying to uncover some valuable information.

Sometimes, making a big deal comes down to grasping a seemingly unimportant key point, which can unlock huge value from another perspective. It’s like on a shoeless island—mediocre people fail to see the market, while geniuses discover an untapped gem.

Perhaps the moment had come, as the roar of jets filled the cabin, vibrating through the air. The plane gently shook as it glided onto the runway.

Lin Mo glanced outside, seeing those expelled individuals standing by the Parking Area. Due to the fierce warnings from Abyss Nirvana’s armed personnel, they lurked at a distance, unable to approach, only able to provocatively gesture at the AN-12, hoping to bait Lin Mo into a reaction.

Their attempts at mocking were clumsy; they didn’t even qualify to catch Lin Mo’s attention, causing them to be sadly ignored.

“What are you looking at?”

Burke Evila curiously peered out the window, unaware of the happenings at the air force base and the serious issues Lin Mo was involved in.

“A bunch of ants!”

Lin Mo smiled faintly; he had already dispatched around ten of them.

The elite warriors, trained at a significant cost, were so easily defeated by someone else. The countries and forces behind them would surely be heartbroken, as it would severely impact the army’s morale and recruitment.

But what could they do? This was Abyss Nirvana, where ground personnel could not retaliate against Lin Mo in aerial combat. After the battle, any attempt to act would result in a national-level confrontation.

Was it worth taking on a massive country like China for just Lin Mo?

The Special Forces behind Lin Mo would ensure that they wouldn’t escape unscathed.

Participating in Abyss Nirvana for the first time, Lin Mo didn’t provide Burke Evila with much information; rather, Burke Evila shared valuable insights with Lin Mo.

In the death match of Abyss Nirvana, points were the most important thing.

Each pilot earned points by shooting down opponents. For each opponent downed, they received not only the basic kill points but also all the points held by the downed target.

Basic points were determined by Abyss Nirvana, with each pilot assigned a basic points value.

The more opponents a pilot shot down, the higher their rating, meaning they could earn more basic points, often leading to veterans who had participated in many battles possessing high values and significant points.

However, challenging skilled opponents came at a price; inexperienced pilots meeting experts only served to give away points, and very few would recklessly seek out stronger foes.

This points system was hard to cheat. Not to mention, fighter jets held far more value than points, and the dangers of air combat were immense. Sending someone to their death for points was not worth it, and points couldn’t be traded.

Participants could only leverage their own fighter jet and the skill of their pilots for an advantage.

These points represented not just rankings but could also be exchanged for fuel, consumables, maintenance equipment, and the most valuable combat-specific ammunition.

When reporting, participants were allowed to equip a basic load of cannon ammunition but could not bring any missiles or rockets.

Weapons and ammunition for combat would be provided exclusively by Abyss Nirvana, including dedicated mounting brackets and guidance programs.

The weapons used in Abyss Nirvana were specially customized and could not be purchased externally; they could only be used with custom mounts and were redeemable solely through points.

Once points were depleted, the wisest course was to quickly convert cash into points, with cash referring to gold. In developed countries in Europe and America, gold is treated as cash—$100,000 worth of gold could be exchanged for one point.

Cash to points exchanges had strict conditions; participants could only redeem two basic loads of cannon ammunition and two medium-range missile points weekly.

If they exhausted their points without ammunition reserves, the aftermath could be dire, as not everyone possessed Lin Mo’s overwhelming combat skill.

Pilots could refuse to fight, but after two refusals, their points would freeze and reset to zero, leading to temporary expulsion from the competition and a lifetime ban—punishments deemed quite harsh.

Points could also be fully exchanged for cash, but few chose that route. Besides providing needed combat supplies, they could also be used to obtain tangible equipment and technical data listed by the organizers.

Participants with strength or enough points could even hire engineers from the organizers to buy suitable equipment to upgrade their fighter jets directly, enhancing their combat abilities.

This list of technical exchanges was an irresistible temptation for the sponsors behind the pilots, like a super tempting cake.

Taking it back for reverse engineering would allow them to grasp technology for free, cutting out numerous pitfalls. Sometimes, for significant projects, just a single core piece could easily solve problems.

This was also a primary reason many aerospace producers flocked to it.

Patents? Let the patents go to hell—this death match entirely disregarded patents.

These technologies and equipment had been gathered and discarded by major forces behind the organizers, whose value had greatly diminished to their original owners but could still yield more research funds.

For other manufacturers, it served as the best reference.

No matter what, the organizers of Abyss Nirvana wouldn’t lose. The point exchange rules would typically yield significant profits.